Bloomfield Sees Slight Hike In State Funding In Malloy Plan

Increase in educational cost sharing of about $800,000 each of next three years

BLOOMFIELD — Gov. Dannel Malloy's proposed budget includes $9 million for Bloomfield in 2016 and 2017. The current level of funding is $8.9 million

The package includes $6.2 million in each of the next two years for educational cost sharing. The town received about $6.2 million in the current fiscal year, including an $800,000 Alliance grant for low-preforming school districts.

"I'm very happy about that," said schools Superintendent James Thompson, who had been bracing for less funding going forward. Thompson is seeking a 1.85 percent increase in spending for 2015-16 after four straight years without an increase.

The governor's proposal also includes $337,000 for roads and $126,000 in local capital improvement spending each of the next two years, which is equal to what Bloomfield received this year. The town will also receive $1.7 million in municipal grants in 2015 the next two years, up slightly from the $1.6 million it received this year.

Finance director William Hogan said Wednesday that he was pleasantly surprised that the municpal grants were being continued.

"We understood that program was going to end. We fund our capital projects through that. That's a good thing."